Buckle.



R. HOEKSTRA.

'BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. m4.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Ren'ze l/oekstra,

Wu/Memo z 6 m as rm: COLUMBIA ILANOGRAPH 120.. wAmNnroN. n. c.

RENZE HOEKSTRA, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN;

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 201, 1916..

Application filed September 26, 1914. Serial No. 863,764.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RENZE Honks'rna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in buckles for securing belts, packages, etc., and its object is to provide a two piece buckle with which the free end of the tongue will be held firmly against the bearing at the end of the buckle. I attain this object by the mechanism and construction shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are outlines of the several forms of frames adapted for use with my buckle. Fig. 4 is a planof the buckle complete. Fig. 5 is a plan of the blank from which the tongue of the buckle is made. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the buckle practically on the line a; as of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a plan of a package with mv buckle and a strap applied for firmly binding the bundle.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of the buckle frame.

Similar figures and letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame of my buckle is made of wire, and of several forms according to the use it is to be applied to. When to be used as an ordinary belt buckle the wire is bent to form the several parts, 1, 9., 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. When designed for binding packages, etc, the parts 2 and 3 are replaced by a triangular construction, as indicated at 8 and 9 in Fig. 2, and when designed for attaching to a button an open loop, as 10 in Fig 3, is formed at the upper end of the triangle 8 -9 to rest upon the button fastening with out danger of coming 01f at inconvenient times. In all my forms the tongue supporters 7 are exactly the same, being made flexible for the free movement of the end of the tongue, but the support 4 may be made either flexible, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or rigid, as in Figs. 2 and 8, to form the pivotal support of the tongue.

The tongue is made of very light sheet metal formed into a body 11 and teeth or serrations 12, with wings 13 formed at the sides. The body 11 is bent on the lines a to form a fold through which the arm or support 4 passes to form a pivotal support for the tongue, and the arm 7 is passed between the folds of the tongue, practically at the line b and presses downward upon the tongue so as to hold the serrations 12 securely on their bearing at is which represents an offset struck inward from the cross-bar 5 so that the tongue will never leave said bearing except when pressed away therefrom. By this means the. contact of the serrations with the strap 15 is constant whether the buckle is right side up or otherwise, and whether there is any strain upon the front strap or not. When folded the edge of the back fold of the body 11 is placed practically upon the line 0 just back of the serrations 12 as shown, in Figs. 4 and 5, and the wings 13 are folded over the edges of the back fold to about the dotted lines d so the end of this fold of the body of the tongue is held firmly in place just back of the offset 70 on the arm 5 of the frame. Figs. 1 and 4 show the same form of frame, and the tongue 11 13 is of the same form, and applied exactly the same on all the various forms of frames, the difference in the forms of the frames being simply to meet different conditions, as, for instance, if a plain belt buckle is desired the form of frame shown in Figs. 1 and 4 is used. If it is desired to use the buckle for securing a package, the form shown in Figs. 2 and 7 is used. In this instance the end of the strap 15 is secured to one arm, as 8, of the triangle 89, and thence carried to the point 7 of the package, being secured to the arm 8 as at c. From 7 the strap is carried under the package and around to the point 9', thence around the arm 9 of the buckle, as at it; thence at right angles with the strap f to the point i, and thence under the package and around to the point j, and thence to, and around the arm 5 of the buckle and folded back to m, and secured in place by the serrations 12, on the tongue 1112, as shown in Fig. 7. If it is desired to use the buckle for securing something to a button, as indicated by the dotted lines a in Fig. 3, I find it desirable to form a ring or loop, as 10, at the bend or point of angle of the arms 8 9 so that the neck of the button, indicated by the smaller circle of dotted lines in Fig. 3, will not readily pass through between the points 0 0 between the loop 10 and the main angle formed by the arms 8-9.

The frame for this buckle is made of a good quality of spring steel so that there is no possible danger of throwing the parts permanently out of position by moving the tongue to or from its bearing on the arm 5 fold. First, to form the necessary loops in conjunction with the several other arms of the frame, for the proper use of the buckle in any of the several uses for which it may be designed, and, second, to form spring supports for the flexible arms 4 and 7 so that their movements when operating the tongue, will be uniform and parallel in all positions of the tongue, and sothe pressure of the serrations upon the bearing 70 on the. arm 5 will be uniform the entire width of the tongue. j

Though I prefer, when making the buckles for very light work, that the tongue support 4 be left unsupported at the free end, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 7 when they are made for heavy use, or for use with heavy straps, or when made in the modified form shown in Fig. 8 I prefer to support the endof the tongue support 4 by passing it-around, or otherwise firmly connecting it with the part 1 of the body, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

Then using the modified form of frame shown in Fig. Sthe strap is passed through the slots 16 and 17, and the pivotal end of the tongue is passed through the slot 18, all as indicated by the sectional lines in these several slots.

hat I claim as new, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a buckle having a frame made of one piece ofspring wire bent to form the sides and ends of the buckle, the ends turned in from one side to cross the frame and form parallel flexible arms, and a tongue made of sheet metal havinga body with serrations formed at one end thereof, the body of the tongue bent around one of the arms to form a pivotal connection therewith, the other arm so connected with the tongue as to hold the serrated end of the tongue against the side of the end bar of the buckle frame.

2. As an article of manufacture, a buckle having its frame made of spring wire with the ends of the wire bent at right angles with the sides, and extending across the frame to form cross arms near the longitudinal center of the frame, a sheet metal tongue bent at one end to form a piy otal connection with one of the arms, and an adjustable connection with the other of said arms thus holding the free end of the tongue normally against one side of the end of the frame.

3. As an article of manufacture, a buckle frame made of spring metal wire bent to form a body of oblong form at one end and of triangular form at the other end, the ends of the wire bent to cross the body near its longitudinal center to form parallel spring arms for the support of a tongue, a tongue made of sheet metal bent double to form a free pivotal connection with one of the cross arms, the other cross arm passed between the folds of the tongue near its longitudinal center so the tongue may be easily raised and lowered at the free end with the other arm as its pivotal center so the free end will be held against the end of the frame, and means for holding the folds of the tongue firmly together.

Signed at Grand Rapids Michigan September 22, 1914.

RENZE HOEKSTRA.

In presence of V I. J. CILLEY, JAMES INGELLs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

' wlehington, D. G. e 

